Col. Benjamin Kilgore assumes command of Tobyhanna Army Depot

Tobyhanna Army Depot ushered in a new era of leadership poised to shape the future of Northeastern Pennsylvania's largest industrial employer.

Col. James L. Crocker relinquished command of Tobyhanna Army Depot to Col. Benjamin Kilgore during a military ceremony on June 25.

Maj. Gen. James D. Turinetti IV, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, presided over the ceremony. Also in attendance was the depot workforce, elected officials, community partners, and members of the Crocker and Kilgore families.

Col. Crocker departs Tobyhanna and will take a new assignment in Army Materiel Command’s G3. In his departing remarks, he celebrated his time leading the DOD’s choice readiness provider.

“At Tobyhanna, we ensure C5ISR readiness for warfighters worldwide. Our accomplishments, over the past two years, while important for us as an organization, were all aimed at delivering key warfighting capabilities at speed and scale,” emphasizing the vast importance of the organization’s newest mission.

“The establishment of our microelectronics facility, which was unveiled earlier this month, has positioned Tobyhanna as the only organic supplier of circuit card assemblies for our warfighters, reducing the need to rely upon external sources.”

Kilgore is the depot’s 36th commander and most recently served as the chief of staff at Defense Logistics Agency Energy. He holds a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the Army War College, a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville and a Masters in Managerial Logistics from North Dakota State University. Prior to attending the Army War College, he was assigned to Army Futures Command, where he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff G4 for Joint Modernization Command at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Kilgore will lead 3,100 employees as depot commander and will be responsible for supporting global readiness for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (also known as C5ISR) systems across the DOD.

In his first address to the Tobyhanna community, Kilgore expressed excitement about his newest assignment.

“I am honored to serve as Tobyhanna’s 36th Commander. Across the Department of Defense, Tobyhanna is known as a community of dedicated professionals who ensure that our joint force remains mission ready.”

Kilgore also laid out his priorities for the organization’s future, citing its role in the evolution of the U.S. Army.

“As we look ahead, Team Tobyhanna will continue to drive forward in alignment with CECOM’s top priorities — particularly in supporting the Army’s transformation strategy and enhancing readiness across the joint force. From sustaining and upgrading C5ISR systems to advancing capabilities in microelectronics, our work ensures that the joint force remains lethal, agile, and technologically superior.”

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR), electronics, avionics, and missile guidance and control. TYAD provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support through depot-level repair, systems integration, software and cyber engineering, and field support. A key enabler of operational readiness for Joint and Allied Forces globally, TYAD leverages new and emerging technologies to further expand the Department of Defense’s organic capabilities for microelectronics, secure communications infrastructure, unmanned aerial systems, Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD), and the Army’s Next Generation Combat Systems (NGC2). TYAD’s ability to rapidly surge production, deploy field support teams, and scale for contingency or theater-level operations makes it a vital contributor to strategic readiness and operational reach.